The present invention relates to the field of telecommunications call switching and transport and bandwidth allocation.
Broadband systems are being developed and implemented. Broadband systems provide telecommunications providers with many benefits, including greater bandwidth, more efficient use of bandwidth, and the ability to integrate voice, data, and video communications. These broadband systems provide callers with increased capabilities at lower costs.
It is difficult to estimate the anticipated need for the number of virtual circuits between devices in the broadband systems. As a result, the bandwidth capacity of virtual circuit groups in broadband systems often is underutilized. Therefore, there is a need for a system that can manage virtual connections in broadband systems so that the available bandwidth capacity is more effectively utilized.
The present invention comprises a system for allocating bandwidth for a call having call signaling and user communications. The system comprises a virtual path group having a plurality of virtual paths. Bandwidth initially is allocated to each of the virtual paths. The system further comprises a signaling processor that is adapted to over-allocate the bandwidth available to a particular one of the virtual paths in a particular one of the virtual path groups when the bandwidth initially allocated to the particular virtual path is not sufficient to connect the call. The over-allocated particular virtual path uses bandwidth initially allocated for another virtual path in the virtual path group. The signaling processor processes the call signaling to select a connection over the particular virtual path and transports a control message that designates the selected connection. An interworking unit is included in the system. The interworking unit is adapted to receive the user communications in a communication format and to receive the control message from the signaling processor. The interworking unit interworks the user communications between the communication format and asynchronous transfer mode cells that identify the selected connection and transports the asynchronous transfer mode cells over the selected connection.
The present invention also comprises a system for allocating bandwidth for a call having call signaling and user communications. The system comprises a virtual path group having a plurality of virtual paths. Bandwidth initially is allocated to each of the virtual paths. The system further comprises a signaling processor that is adapted to over-allocate the bandwidth available to a particular one of the virtual paths in a particular one of the virtual path groups when the bandwidth initially allocated to the particular virtual path is not sufficient to connect the call. The over-allocated particular virtual path uses bandwidth initially allocated for another virtual path in another virtual path group. The signaling processor processes the call signaling to select a connection over the particular virtual path and transports a control message that designates the selected connection. An interworking unit is included in the system. The interworking unit is adapted to receive the user communications in a communication format and to receive the control message from the signaling processor. The interworking unit interworks the user communications between the communication format and asynchronous transfer mode cells that identify the selected connection and transports the asynchronous transfer mode cells over the selected connection.
The present invention further comprises a system for allocating bandwidth for a call having call signaling and user communications. The system comprises a plurality of virtual channels and a plurality of virtual paths that each have a portion of the virtual channels available for use. A plurality of virtual path groups is included, and each virtual path group has a portion of the virtual paths available for use. The system further comprises a signaling processor that is adapted to over-allocate the virtual paths in the virtual path groups so that particular virtual paths use virtual channels from other virtual paths when needed. The signaling processor receives the call signaling and processes the call signaling to select a connection over a selected one of the over-allocated virtual paths over a selected one of the virtual path groups. The signaling processor transports a control message that designates the selected connection. The system includes an interworking unit that is adapted to receive the user communications in a communication format, to receive the control message from the signaling processor, and to interwork the user communications between the communication format and asynchronous transfer mode cells that identify the selected connection. The interworking unit transports the asynchronous transfer mode cells over the selected connection.
Still further, the present invention comprises a bandwidth allocation system for connecting a call over a network having a plurality of virtual channels with bandwidth and a plurality of virtual paths. Each virtual path is configured to use a portion of the bandwidth. The call has call signaling and user communications. The system comprises a signaling processor and an interworking unit. The signaling processor is adapted to over-allocate bandwidth available to the virtual paths for use by a selected one of the virtual path groups. The signaling processor receives the call signaling and processes the call signaling to select a connection on a selected one of the over-allocated virtual paths. The signaling processor transport a control message that designates the selected connection. The interworking unit is adapted to receive the user communications in a communication format, to receive the control message from the signaling processor, and to interwork the user communications with the selected connection so that the selected virtual path uses bandwidth from another of the virtual paths.
The present invention is directed to a bandwidth allocation system for connecting a call over an asynchronous transfer mode system that has a plurality of virtual paths. Each virtual path has bandwidth initially allocated thereto. The call has call signaling and user communications. The system comprises a signaling processor that is adapted to receive the call signaling and to process the call signaling to select a virtual connection over a selected one of the virtual paths. The selected virtual path has used all of the bandwidth initially allocated thereto, thus reaching its critically allocated point. The signaling processor transports a control message that designates the selected virtual connection. The system has a bandwidth allocation platform that is adapted to determine that the selected virtual path has used all of the bandwidth initially allocated thereto and to over-allocate the bandwidth available to the selected virtual path so that the selected virtual path uses bandwidth from another virtual path. The system further includes an interworking unit adapted to receive the user communications in a communication format, to receive the control message from the signaling processor, and to interwork the user communications between the communication format and asynchronous transfer mode cells that identify the selected virtual connection. The interworking unit transports the asynchronous transfer mode cells over the selected virtual connection.
The present invention also is directed to a bandwidth allocation system for connecting a call over an asynchronous transfer mode system that has a plurality of virtual paths. Each virtual path has bandwidth initially allocated thereto. The call has call signaling and user communications. The system comprises a signaling processor that is adapted to receive the call signaling and to process the call signaling to select a virtual connection over a selected one of the virtual paths. The selected virtual path has used all of the bandwidth initially allocated thereto, thus reaching its critically allocated point. The signaling processor transports a control message that designates the selected virtual connection and over-allocates the bandwidth available to a selected virtual path so that the selected virtual path uses bandwidth from another virtual path. The system has a bandwidth allocation platform that is adapted to track usage of the virtual paths and to provide to the signaling processor usage information about the virtual paths available so that the signaling processor can select the connection. The system further includes an interworking unit adapted to receive the user communications in a communication format, to receive the control message from the signaling processor, and to interwork the user communications between the communication format and asynchronous transfer mode cells that identify the selected virtual connection. The interworking unit transports the asynchronous transfer mode cells over the selected virtual connection.
The present invention further is directed to a system for allocating bandwidth for calls having call signaling and user communications. The system comprises a plurality of virtual paths each having bandwidth initially allocated thereto. The system also comprises a plurality of signaling processors linked together. Each signaling processor is adapted to over-allocate the bandwidth for particular virtual paths when the bandwidth initially allocated to the particular virtual paths is not sufficient to connect the calls. The over-allocated particular virtual paths may use bandwidth initially allocated for other of the virtual paths. Each signaling processor is adapted to process call signaling for calls to select connections over the particular virtual paths, and to transport control messages that designate the selected connections. The system has a plurality of interworking units that are adapted to receive user communications for the calls, to receive control messages from the signaling processors, and to interwork the user communications to the selected connections on the over-allocated virtual paths. The system further includes a plurality of cross connects that are adapted to connect the interworking units through the selected connections on the over-allocated particular virtual paths.
Still further, the present invention is directed to a system for connecting a call in an asynchronous transfer mode system that has a plurality of virtual paths. Each virtual path has bandwidth initially allocated thereto. The call has call signaling and user communications. The system comprises a first signaling processor that is adapted to receive the call signaling and to process the call signaling to select a first connection over a selected first one of the virtual paths. The first virtual path has used all of the bandwidth initially allocated thereto. The first signaling processor transports a first control message that designates the selected first connection and transports a second control message that designates the first connection. The system also comprises a second signaling processor that is adapted to receive the first control message transported by the first signaling processor, to process the first control message to select a second connection for the user communications, and to transport a third control message designating the second connection. Also included is a bandwidth allocation platform that is adapted to track bandwidth usage by the plurality of virtual paths and to identify the first virtual path for over-allocation so that the first virtual path may use bandwidth initially allocated to another of the virtual paths. The system further includes a first interworking unit that is adapted to receive the user communications in a communication format, to receive the second control message from the first signaling processor, and to interwork the user communications with the selected first connection over the over-allocated first virtual path. Further included is a second interworking unit that is adapted to receive the user communications interworked from the first interworking unit, to receive the third control message from the second signaling processor, and to interwork the user communication with the selected second connection.
Further still, the present invention is directed to a method for connecting a call over an ATM system having a plurality of ATM virtual paths. The ATM virtual paths have bandwidth initially allocated thereto. A plurality of ATM virtual path groups are included, and each virtual path group is configured to use a portion of the virtual paths. The call has call signaling and user communications. A particular one of the virtual paths in a particular one of the virtual path groups uses all of the bandwidth initially allocated thereto. The method comprises over-allocating the bandwidth for the particular virtual path so that the particular virtual path uses bandwidth initially allocated for another virtual path. The call signaling is received and processed to select a connection over the particular virtual path in the particular virtual path group. The user communications are interworked with the selected connection.
Further yet, the present invention is directed to a method for connecting a call over an ATM system. The call has call signaling and user communications. The method comprises configuring a particular one of a plurality of ATM virtual paths for over-allocation of bandwidth so that as the particular ATM virtual path requires bandwidth to connect the call, the particular ATM virtual path uses the required bandwidth from another ATM virtual path. An ATM connection is configured over the particular ATM virtual path as a constant-bit rate connection. The call signaling is received and processed to select the ATM connection over the particular ATM virtual path to connect the call. The user communications are received over a TDM connection and interworked with the selected ATM connection as constant bit-rate traffic.
In addition, the present invention is directed to a method for connecting a call over an ATM system. The call has call signaling and user communications. The method comprises configuring a particular one of a plurality of ATM virtual paths for over-allocation of bandwidth so that as the particular ATM virtual path requires bandwidth to connect the call, the particular ATM virtual path uses the required bandwidth from another ATM virtual path. An ATM connection is configured over the particular ATM virtual path as a constant-bit rate connection. The call signaling is received in a signaling processor and processed to select the ATM connection over the particular ATM virtual path to connect the call. A control message is transported from the signaling processor identifying the selected ATM connection. The user communications and the control message are received in an interworking unit over a TDM connection and interworked as constant bit-rate traffic with the selected ATM connection identified in the control message.